Valve device



p 0, 1938. c. P. KERSGIETER 2,130,847

VALVE DEVICE Filed May -13, 1936 Im en for Char/e5 F, Margy/87 6f.

Patented Sept. 20, 1938 PATENT OFFICE VALVE DEVICE Charles P. Kersgieter, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Carter Carburetor Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application May 13, 1936, Serial No. 79,469

4 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to valve devices applicable, particularly, to needle valve assemblies in internal combustion engine carburetors.

Carburetors for internal combustion engines, and particularly automotive engines, are ordinarily provided with float operated needle valves for controlling the admission of fuel to a constant level chamber. Fuel passes from this chamber through a calibrated orifice or jet to the mixing conduit and thence to the engine firing chambers. The needle valve assembly frequently comprises a cylindrical seat or body member screwed into the cover or top portion of the fuel bowl, and a special, non-circular needle valve of solid construction operating inside the seat member. The seat member is made inexpensively as a screw-machine product of brass or similar metal, but the needle valve is made preferably of special hard material, such as Monel metal, and due to the special shape, is relatively expensive to manufacture.

An object of the present invention is to facilitate, simplify, and cheapen the production of needle valve devices of the type described above.

A more detailed object is to provide a needle valve of the above type which may be formed in its entirety by ordinary machine operations and does not require specially shaped stock.

Still another object is to provide a needle valve of skeletonized or recessed construction so that the valve may fit relatively snugly within the bore of the seat member while permitting fluids to flow readily through the valve when off its seat.

According to the present invention, the valve comprises a barrel-shaped body portion constructed of a sheet metal blank having radiating fingers bent axially of the blank and secured at their ends to a separate tip element shaped to cooperate with the valve seat.

The above objects and other more detailed objects hereafter appearing are attained substantially by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a carburetor, sectionalized in part through the float bowl and in part through the mixture passage of the carburetor.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section showing a part of the structure in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a view of the sheet metal blank prior to bending.

The carburetor shown in Figure 1 includes a generally cylindrical body hollowed to form a downdraft mixture passage including an air inlet pivotally mounted on shaft 6 near the lower porticn of the carburetor and has a crank (not shown) for manual operation. The accelerating pump piston rod 1 is connected to the throttle by means of lever 8 permanently pivoted at 9, link I 0, and a suitable crank or arm (not shown) rigid with the shaft 6. At the side of the mixture passage is a float bowl H with a cover I 2 having a projecting boss I3 for attachment to a conduit connected with a fuel tank (not shown). Boss [3 has a central vertical bore l4 communicating with horizontal opening l5 and threaded for receiving the needle valve assembly, generally indicated at l6. Needle valve I1 is controlled by float l8 to maintain fuel within the bowl H at a substantially constant level.

Fuel passes through the calibrated jet I9 to the main nozzle and idling passages 2| and 22 in a manner well known in the art. Nozzle 20 terminates inside the primary venturi 23 which is concentric with additional venturis 24 and 25 in the interior of the mixture passage.

The needle valve seat member includes a threaded nipple 26 for attachment to boss l3 and having a longitudinal bore 21 and a lower portion 28 having a bore 29, substantially larger than bore 21, and lateral apertures 30. A shoulder 3! between bores 21 and 29 forms a valve seat.

The needle valve is constructed of a separately formed tip element 32 having a tapered portion cooperating with the valve seat 3| to control the passage of fluid through the seat member and a skeletonized body or guiding part. The body part is formed of a sheet metal blank, as shown in Figure 4, having fingers 33 radiating from the solid center portion 34. Fingers 33 are bent axially of the blank and at their extremities have abrupt offsets as at 35, secured within a groove 36 around the tip element 32. The body portion, when formed as shown in Figures 2 and 3, comprises essentially a plurality of spaced longitudinal ribs forming a hollow, barrel-shaped body which fits relatively snugly within bore 29 in the seat member so as to be guided thereby in its movement towards and away from the valve seat.

The tip element 32 may be conveniently formed by screw machine operations while the body portion is essentially a punch press product or stamped. The two parts of the valve may be firmly assembled by any suitable means, the offsets 35 being preferably pressed within groove 36 as will occur to those skilled in the art.

in the tip element so as to be held therein by the rigidity of the metal and also by friction.

The solid portion 34 at the center of the blank forms the tip part of the valve opposite the separate element 32 and is engaged by the float lever 31 which controls the valve.

The above described structure and method of forming the needle valve are merely illustrative and these may be modified in various respects, The exclusive use of all such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a needle valve having a separately formed tip part for cooperating with a valve seat, and a substantially hollow body part comprising a plurality of spaced ribs secured at one end to said tip part, said ribs merging at their ends opposite said tip part.

'2. As a new article of manufacture, a needle valve comprising a separately formed end portion having a tapered part for cooperating with a valve seat and a grooved part, and a hollow body portion formed of sheet metal structure withspaced ribs converging towards and secured to said grooved part, the interior of said body portion being substantially unobstructed to permit free passage of fluid therethrough when the valve is ofi its seat.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a needle valve comprising a separately formed tip part for cooperating with a. valve seat, and a body part formed of a sheet metal blank with a substantially solid central portion and'spaced ribs emanating therefrom and converging towards and secured to said tip part, the interior of said body portion being substantially unobstructed to permit free passage of fluid therethrough when the valve is off its seat.

4. In combination, a valve seat member comprising a valve seat and a cylindrical fluid passage adjacent said seat, a valve comprising a hollow, ribbed body part closely fitting in said passage and guided thereby and having a separately formed tip at one end for cooperation with said Valve seat, and a valve actuator engaging the other end of said valve body, the body portion of said valve being formed exclusively of a plurality of guiding ribs, said ribs tapering and. merging at one end for cooperating with said actuator.

CHARLES P. KERSGIETER. 

